TEA2 Architects

Exterior Character, Interior Style
This Spanish-Colonial structure, bordering the canal between Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles, is home to two devout Modernists. The challenge involved the addition of a very modern Sunroom and Wine Cellar to the front of the house, while also reinforcing the character of the existing home so as to “fit in” to the neighborhood. The new addition reinforces the traditional stucco mass-wall vocabulary and adds floor-to-ceiling operable multi-pane windows matching the existing exterior. A new front door provides the only indication of modern interiors. Large openings between rooms allow unobstructed views through the house for a panoramic connection to the landscape.

Visual Calmness
In the Sun Room, reveals were integrated into ceilings to house a variety of technical requirements, creating a clean-lined, modern, and highly-functional space. Cove-lighting, sliding door hardware, and motorized privacy shades are concealed by a “slotted” soffit that floats around the perimeter of the room. A simply sculpted skylight illuminates a polished concrete floor containing radiant heating underfoot.

Natural Light Below
Even though wine cellars typically do not benefit from natural light, the client wanted at least a visual connection to the sun. The Sun Room floor/Wine Room ceiling houses a structural-steel “light-slot,” with a mirror finish, which bounces diffused light into the Wine Room, washing the wall. The structural glass maintains a thermal separation between differently-conditioned spaces and casts a warm upward glow at night.

Restraint & Simplicity
In the lower level, a very simple palette of concrete, plaster, and steel characterizes the Wine Room. The original board-formed concrete foundation wall was left exposed as a counterpoint to the polished floor. The new foundation wall is also left exposed, composing a backdrop to showcase the wine. Bottles rest on minimal walnut wood blocks suspended from the ceiling with stainless-steel rods anchored to the floor.